Fallen from Grace
by RaineJoybringer
Summary: [AU] When a city lives in a world of corruption run by power hungry yakuza, just living can be considered a danger. And things are by no means any different in the city of Shigakure. Chapter 3: Hopes [Spoilers for Shippuuden]
1. Threat

**Disclaimer: **Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto and not me.

**A/N: **Hi, thanks for choosing to read 'Fallen from Grace', a Naruto AU written from the point of view if the characters were in a modernist city within yakuza gangs. I must warn that there will spoilers for the canon of Shippuuden in this, as I am trying to see if I can follow a similar storyline. It's an experimental fic more than anything, so any feedback would be appreciated.

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**Fallen from Grace**

**Chapter 1: Threat**

When its was first built at the turn of the century, the growing city became the centre for the country's revolution, in both technology and order. It was for this reason that the city was named for the pride its citizens held.

Shigakure, a city fallen from grace and into the hands of mortals. The name no longer symbolises pride, but death.

* * *

**Shigakure… three years ago… **

"Sasuke!"

A trashcan toppled over as two a pair of children ran towards a rundown school. Another had halted before a rusting playground, a jungle gym towering behind him. Swings creaked loudly as a breeze swept through the school.

"Sasuke-kun…"

Hands trembled as they reached out.

"Leave me alone, Sakura."

"Don't say that, Sasuke-kun… please don't…"

"Sasuke! Turn and face us! At least you can do that!"

Naruto gritted his teeth together after he yelled. Sakura pulled her hand back slowly as the other boy before them turned. Her blood ran cold at the sight.

"Sasuke-kun... what has he done to you?"

The black haired boy glared at the paired- one eye normal… the other a demonic yellow surrounded by darkness. Flame-like markings covered half of his face, the patterned skin swirling and writhing violently. His face crinkled in disgust at them.

"He's given me a chance at power," he spat. "Something that _Konoha_ could never give me."

"You idiot, Sasuke! That's just what he wants you to think!" retorted the blond before him angrily. "It's all a lie! Everything you think you know is a lie!"

Sakura blinked back tears, clasping her hands at her chest. "It's that virus, Sasuke-kun. You have to believe us. It's messing up your judgment. You know Oto is just a front for illegal experiments- they're not real yakuza! They don't care about your fate!"

Sasuke's disgusted look deepened. "You're wrong; it's made me see clearer. I see Konoha for what it really is, and that I will never be able to advance. Only Orochimaru can offer me what I want. As long as I stay here, I'm only going to become weaker."

"But we were friends, Sasuke!" Naruto shouted, his fists tightening. "What ever happened to that?"

"Friends… I never had any friends. I only had people getting in my way and preventing me from getting stronger."

"Don't say that, Sasuke-kun!" Sakura shouted as tears flooded her vision. "I… I love you… Are you turning your back on that too?"

The black haired boy's eyes narrowed. "You… were only an annoyance."

Sakura wiped the tears from her eyes as she gazed at him. Her voice was shaky, though she tried to hold confidence in her stance. "I'll call Tsunade-sama… and then everyone will come. I won't let you leave."

Naruto's eyes widened as the girl pulled a mobile phone from her pocket and flipped it open. Sasuke retaliated, suddenly running forward and clamping a hand over her nose and mouth. Sakura fought to breathe as the dark-haired boy pushed her forward into the jungle gym, her head hitting one of the bars loudly. He pulled her back before slamming her down onto the dirt of the playground.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto leapt at Sasuke, wrestling him off of the girl and pinned him down. Sakura weakly reached for her phone that had dropped from her hands as she fell. Her hands trembled as she pushed a button.

"Kakashi-sensei… please help…" The phone flashed as the call began and Sakura's eyelids closed.

Naruto stared down at his former friend. Sasuke stared up as well, daring him to do his worst. A fist slammed into his face as the blond punched him.

"Bastard!" He yelled down at him. "Orochimaru only wants to use you, do you know that? You're an idiot, Sasuke! You know you're too good for a gang like that! What happened to our dreams? You said you wanted to make Shigakure a better place!"

"My only dream was ever killing my brother!"

Sasuke's hands flew up and pushed him off. Naruto rolled back and got to his feet.

"Why are you doing this?" Naruto demanded. "You don't have to leave!"

"It's because of you, Naruto. You're the one who did this," replied Sasuke coldly, getting to his feet. "You became my best friend, so now you're the only obstacle in my way from getting stronger."

Naruto held a fist up threateningly. "I'll drag you back if I have to! Even if I have to break all the bones in your body, I'll do it!"

Sasuke's body tensed. His hand shook as he reached for his pocket. "Don't make me do this."

* * *

_CRASH! _Trash cans toppled over. 

Sakura's eyes flew open. She felt something like warm water puddling under her hand. The stench of blood suddenly reached her nose.

"Sasuke-kun! Naruto!" She sat up, looking around for her friends.

"Sakura-chan…"

The girl froze as she saw what laid on the ground beside her- Naruto. Blood flowed from his shoulder, covering his shirt and the dirt of the playground. Sakura felt woozy as the scent of blood filled her nostrils.

"Sakura-chan… help…" Naruto's blue eyes pleaded with her to stay with him. His hand tightened around the knife he had pulled out. In his other hand, he held onto a torn armband that he had ripped off from Sasuke before he ran.

The pink haired girl shook her head to keep herself alert. She quickly tore off her own armband and pushed it onto Naruto's wound, trying to stop the blood from running out.

"He… he's not bad, Sakura-chan…" whispered Naruto as he stared up at the night sky- the stars obscured by the city's lights.

"Don't talk, Naruto. Save your strength," replied Sakura, tears dripping down her face. She pushed harder. Naruto winced.

"No… he… he… didn't kill me… He changed… his mind… He's still our friend… Sakura-chan… and I'll save him… I promise."

Teardrops fell lightly onto the boy's cheek as Sakura hung her head. "We'll do it _together _next time, Naruto…"

"Do you… remember… Sakura-chan? …This was the place… we all first… met… We'll meet here… again… one day…" The blond gave a shaky smile as his eyes closed.

"Naruto? Naruto!"

* * *

**Two and a half years later…**

Night in Shigakure- under the pale reflection of the moon, the brightly lit city was abuzz with life... Neon lights glowed in the darkness advertising remedies to fleshly desires, terrified screams echoed from alleyways, the smell of booze and smoke filled the air. No longer was this part of the city under order. The sight of blood-red eyes searching the night for crime had long gone.

Three shadows joined the darkness of the alleyway, unafraid of what hid in the depths. Slowly, they made their way into the maze, seeking the centre.

A door creaked signalling the end of their journey, and the shadows ascended up a curling stairway... a meeting was about to begin.

* * *

Heels clicked on the marble floor as a blonde haired woman circled a desk looking for paperwork. She circled her desk like a shark, hunting for something… or someone. 

"Shizune!"

"Yes, Tsunade-sama?"

"Do you remember where I put those files for tonight? I didn't leave them in the gym did I?"

Shizune sighed a little and opened a nearby filing cabinet. "I filed them away for you here, Tsunade-sama. Your desk is too dangerous a place to keep such important files. You keep spilling sake everywhere."

"What I do with my sake is none of your business," snapped the older woman with pursed lips and a frown. "Well, how do I look anyway? Tonight is an important one. I need to make a good impression."

Tsunade put her hands on her hips, letting silky green yukata sleeves dangle freely. Although the meeting was one of importance, she still had left her usual cleavage showing from her ample bosom. She had also refused to place a proper pair of sandals on, preferring high heels. However, there was still an air of beauty and power about her- either from her confident stance, or the silken green yukata delicately decorated in golden leaves, she still commanded attention.

The dark haired assistant gave a crooked smile. "You look fine, Tsunade-sama. But I think now is the time to welcome our guests."

"Can't we be fashionably late?" asked the other woman with a peeved look.

"Tsunade-sama... we're already late as it is." Shizune once again sighed. _Story of my life… _

* * *

Downstairs- a group of three sat at a low table. The floor here was marble as well, just as the ornate pillars that stood proudly at the doorway. Behind the three figures there was nothing but glass, allowing anyone that looked to see out over the city of Shigakure, rampant with chaos. However, anyone looking back would only see a black wall... a grand view to one side, a featureless building to another. 

The doors opened and heels clicked over the marble. They stopped before the table.

"Gaara-dono, it is a pleasure to see you once more. As well as you, Kankuro-san... Temari-san..."

Tsunade looked down on the three sitting at the table. On the left sat a young woman with blonde hair pulled into four ponytails. She looked the symbol of teenage pop culture – not only wearing the newest 'hip' fashion, but wearing layers upon layers of trinkets and accessories on every possible part of her body. The young woman fluttered a fan towards her face to cool it in the summer heat that seeped in from outside and blew a pink orb of bubblegum.

On the right was a young man with messy brown hair poking out from under a black beanie. The beanie somehow resembled a pair of cat ears, a strange contrast to the straight-edged, purple tattoos that covered his face and resembling the style of make-up Tsunade remembered from old kabuki plays. Tsunade suspected his whole body may have been tattooed… and probably even pierced from the amount of studs he was wearing- from ears to eyebrows to a nostril. Along with his dark punk-like attire, Tsunade was sure he was the type to scare children off.

But he wasn't the one that scared her. In between the two sat the youngest of the three- a young man with crimson hair and a gaze that could unsettle even the most confident of all people. His light green eyes were surrounded by dark bags, the sign of an insomniac, but the look in them showed how painfully aware he was of what went around him. A roughly etched tattoo sat on the left side his forehead, reading as the kanji for 'love'.

There was nothing faintly romantic about the boy though. His attire was simple, dark jeans and t-shirt covered by a dark red overcoat. His only "accessory" was a gourd, the size of which Tsunade had never seen before. It was that which scared her.

_Another example of the Sand's infamous use of technology…_ she whispered to herself.

Gaara nodded at the woman suddenly. "It has been a while, Tsunade-dono."

Inwardly, the woman gave a sigh of relief. True, relations between Konoha and Suna had eased, but Tsunade couldn't help but remember the old tensions they once held. It was an old habit left over from generations past, making it hard sometimes for her to believe how much things had changed.

"What are we here for anyway?" asked Kankuro gruffly. "Walking around in the dark ain't exactly my thing, you know."

Tsunade sat down at the opposite side of the table and spread some documents out. "I asked you to come at this time because I have been passed some important news. I believe that we have some new competition."

The Suna leader's eyes passed over the documents. "Akatsuki," he muttered as he read the word at the top of a report.

"You may have noticed some strange occurrences lately," said Tsunade, her brow furrowed. "Some of our contacts within the smaller gangs have suddenly disappeared, along with the rest of the gang. Whether they disbanded voluntarily, or were forced to, we still don't know. But we were never informed, so there have been conflicts between groups bordering those smaller territories that found out before us. "

Gaara gave another nod of acknowledgement. "We have noticed the same."

Bubblegum popped as Temari held up a document in her hand. She chewed noisily as she read over it. "Seems like whoever's behind it is trying to cause another power struggle- no doubt so they can sneak in beneath our noses and take the lead."

"This ain't our only problem though," interrupted Kankuro. "Someone's been trying to outbid us on some of the police investigators."

Tsunade's eyes widened for a second. "What, I didn't hear that!" She glanced up at her assistant by the doorway; they other woman shrugged and shook her head worriedly. "When did that happen?"

"It would have helped if you'd mentioned that sooner, Kankuro," growled Temari. "You never report in."

Her brother scratched at an ear casually. "Yeah, well, I was busy. Some punk-ass kids broke into my storeroom again and stole my equipment- took me all day to track them down before they pawned my stuff off. That technology ain't cheap you know."

Tsunade gave a light groan. "Please, Kankuro-san, I would appreciate if you told me what you know about the police issue."

"Didn't learn much really," he replied. "But from what I've been told, most of them were approached by guys in black coats. Said they tried to come to some sort of 'deal' with them, but they refused. They didn't seem like your normal run-of-the-mill guys."

The Konoha leader thought over it for a second before letting out a groan. "Well, I guess as far as _we_ know anyway. We'll need to get our own spies in on this as soon as possible."

"It may not be soon though," said Gaara. He had stopped reading documents and instead turned to gazing out the window facing over the city. "If this Akatsuki organisation is serious in its goals, we will need to be extra vigilant about possible involvement in our activities."

Tsunade nodded. "Yes, I will have to start getting daily reports again. It's been a long time since we've had to do that though- we've become too lax over the years since the mayor gave up on trying to control us."

"It is probably that which has let them get so far without our or the mayor's notice," replied the Suna leader.

The woman rubbed at her temples. The sudden shock of news left her feeling like wanting a stiff drink.

Gaara slowly turned his gaze back onto the woman. The unsettling look in his eyes unexpectedly lightened. "How is Uzumaki Naruto doing?"

Tsunade blinked, her fingers pausing in mid-rub. A smile twitched on her lips. "Still overseas learning new things- the trip seems to have done him good for the recovery."

"And Uchiha?"

The woman sighed and shook her head. "No word. But Naruto is still convinced he can bring him back."

Gaara stared back out over the city. "He still has faith that people can change, even in this place."

_That's what I love about him,_ thought Tsunade to herself, hoping that the boy that was like a son to her would return soon.

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**A/N: **I hope you enjoyed this story! Hopefully more will be coming soon. 


	2. Arrival

**Disclaimer: **Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto and not me.

**A/N:** Heh, another chapter! Oh, and for those of you who read the first chapter already, I changed a couple details… Meh…

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**_Chapter 2: Arrival _**

**Days later…**

The young man squirmed in his seat, a grimace plastered on his face as a pair of tweezers struggled to pull a bullet out of his arm.

"Stop twitching," said the young woman by his side. Her light green eyes stayed focussed on the task, her hands steady. As she finally dislodged the bullet, both her and her patient gave a sigh of relief. The young woman began to dress the wound carefully. "You're too reckless, Lee-san," she said. "You need to think before you act. And take some time off every now and then- I'm worried you'll aggravate your old injuries again."

The young man smiled. "You do not need to worry about me, Sakura-san. I know that if I am ever hurt, you will be there to help me." He continued to stare at her, the smile still on his face as he thought about what a strange and wonderful young woman she was. Her touch was gentle, but he knew that if angered she would be able to pummel him through a wall with little trouble. It came from being apprentice to Tsunade-sama, no doubt, seeing as she had once been a bodybuilder. Luckily though, not all of her teacher's personality traits had rubbed off on her- she was kind and understanding, had no love of drink or gambling, and definitely was _not_ addicted to plastic surgery. And she was cute, even if she had a rather large forehead.

Sakura finished with the bandages and untied her short pink hair, letting it fall to just touch her shoulders. She slipped her pair of medical gloves off, allowing her to roll down the sleeves of her red blouse. The girl gave a frown at the stains of blood she spotted on her apron, taking it off to not give it time to soak through to her black skirt.

She shook her head and sighed. "That's just what I'm worried about. Lee-san, not all injuries can be healed. You have been far too lucky considering what you've been through." She looked at the young man before her, taking him in. In this city, he definitely stood out- though not exactly in a good way. He had no concept of fashion sense, a bowl hair cut, thick eyebrows… his attire didn't help in the slightest- the formal, neon green shirt and pink tie looked like he suffered from colour blindness (which Sakura was convinced he had). The only redeeming fashion feature was his sunglasses, which were actually not too bad overall. They covered his odd-looking eyes at least. But, with such an exterior, it was sometimes easy to forget how unique his personality was. Kindness was a rare trait to find these days.

Lee patted the bandage around his arm, wincing slightly as he realised his folly. "If you wish for me to take more care, then I shall, Sakura-chan. You know what is best for your precious people."

The girl gave a crooked smile. "Get yourself a sling from the nurse when you leave. And just take it easy for the next few weeks- nothing big. And say hello to Neji-san and Tenten-san for me then," she said, politely ushering him from the room. "I'll see you later, Lee-san." She closed the door behind him and turned to rest her back against it for a second.

"I can't believe how busy things have gotten lately," she muttered to herself. She set about to cleaning up.

Things definitely had been busier lately for some reason. Since Tsunade had let her take up medical duties by herself for the gang, she'd never seen so many people with wounds come in. At least a quarter of those on duty had some form of injury. Granted, it was a small difference in comparison to that time the gang had been in that war with Suna and Oto, but it was still rather worrying.

Sakura tapped her fingers against the bench. She stared out the window before her, the view only just above that of the buildings next door. She had been glad to get this office; a sky view seemed to be rare these days with all the buildings suddenly reaching higher into the sky. The past few years had become even stranger. Or maybe it was just her that felt like it was? She didn't want to tell anybody, but she was lonely- almost desperately so. She'd tried to distract herself with work, which she did enjoy, yes, but she was still left with that same awful feeling of reject in the pit of her stomach.

Reject. She wasn't sure why she felt that was the word to use, but she had to admit that it was the right word for one of the cases. Just when all felt right in the world, she'd been rejected by the person she felt was the one. Over the years they had spent together, she'd come to realise more mature feelings, not just the ones born of a young girl's fantasy. But just when she felt like it was the right time to confess and explain, everything had changed. And he'd run away, leaving her unsure what to think. Was she the selfish one, or was he?

But reject was too harsh a word to apply to the other case. She still had hope for both, but in this case, the hope was justified. She at least knew she wouldn't be lonely for too much longer. And this time, she'd be sure not to entirely reject what she already had had before.

Sakura smiled as she thought that.

* * *

"Hey, Ero-Sennin, how do you think Konoha is going? You write letters to Baa-chan, don't cha?" A boy of around fifteen glanced up with bright blue eyes at the older man beside him. The man sent him a patronising glare in return. 

"I do use email, Naruto. Just because you've decided to stay behind the times doesn't mean I have to. And remember not to call me that in front of the whole gang. It's Jiraiya, okay?" He shielded his eyes from the sun as he stared over the sea. In the distance he was able to spot the outline of a city. "You'll be surprised when we get back."

Naruto stared up at his sensei strangely, the bottom lid of his eye twitching.

Jiraiya glimpsed back down at him, raising an eyebrow. "What is it?"

Naruto's face turned green. He grabbed at his throat and pointed at it.

His sensei's eyes widened. He clamped his hands around the boy's arms as he wriggle around, looking like he couldn't breathe. "What is it? Why are you green? Have you been poisoned? Are you dying? I don't want my hard work to have gone to waste on you!" Jiraiya shook him, trying to get him to tell him what was wrong.

"Bleeeeh!"

An eye twitched. Vomit dripped down pants legs and onto sandaled feet. Naruto hung limply from Jiraiya's grip, relieved.

"Moron! What didn't you tell me?" yelled the old man, shaking him again.

"I tried to tell you, you old perv! What'd you go shaking me for?!" Naruto struggled out of his grip and stumbled to the side of the boat. He leaned over, gasping for breath and hoping not to go through that again.

Jiraiya gritted his teeth. He pulled an old shirt from his bag and began wiping himself down. "_Me_… getting spat up on… by my own student… If anyone ever heard, I'd be the laughing stock of Konoha."

"You already _are_ the laughing stock of Konoha, Ero-Sennin," muttered his student, leaning up from the railings. Colour was finally returning to his face. "You write those dirty books and perv on women all the time."

The man crossed his arms and turned away. "But at least I like the real thing, not like you and your drawings."

"Hey, you liked that one I gave you last week well enough," retorted the blond. "I saw you sneaking peeks at it _even while_ you were perving on the real thing."

"It's no fault of mine you draw so well. You should learn to draw something else other than naked women for a change." Jiraiya rubbed at his nose, trying to hide the fact he was remembering the picture again.

"Naah…" Naruto leaned against the rails and stared out towards the distant city that slowly began to come into focus.

His sensei shook his head, knowing that getting into an argument was futile. He thought he would have learnt his lesson about fighting with the stubborn blond by now, but it was sometimes hard to communicate any other way. He looked across at his young student, thinking back to the day he had first met him. He'd been a cute kid- full of questions and pouts when he didn't get it.

In a way he was still the same, but he'd matured and grown. He had actually shot up somewhere around fourteen, meaning he went through clothes at an astounding rate. Though, it had done wonders for his appearance. He wasn't a snot-nosed brat covered in dirt anymore- he actually had learnt to brush his hair and teeth in the mornings, and even more astounding, had learnt how to iron. Not that he had to worry much with the clothes he wore currently: a puffy black jacket lined with white fur, worn openly so the bright orange shirt bearing a red spiral mark could be seen; and darkly coloured cargo pants tucked into a pair of boots. Jiraiya sighed and began to read a book he had pulled from his bag.

Naruto adjusted the black headband sliding down his forehead, still staring out towards the looming city. Now that they were closer, he could tell it wasn't a fog covering the city, but smog. And lost somewhere amongst it was his precious people- friends he'd left behind so he could 'recover' as the old Baa-chan had said. He'd missed them when he was overseas, feeling like an idiot when he realised that his time had been up and he hadn't contacted anyone during it. He was sure one particular girl would grab him into a headlock and yell at him for not doing so.

But then… maybe he'd felt too ashamed to do so? After all, he _had_ failed. Konoha's precious "prince" had run off to join another gang, giving a sense of uncertainty to the future of the group. He'd never been too well-liked after all… Naruto gingerly touched his cheek, knowing that there on his face were the marks of an outcast. He'd been told they had been given to him by the Fourth Hokage of the Konoha gang just before he died. The marks were supposed to symbolise a new generation, one of change, but the Fourth's intentions for them were never realised by the other members. Instead they thought he was an omen, a sickly reminder that one of their most beloved leaders had passed away in mysterious circumstances. Many thought he had committed suicide, which made things all the more worse for Naruto's goal.

That was right. He had a mission- the realisation of the Fourth's dream. He'd embraced the notion after being told the true meaning of the marks. It was a dream worth realising too- Shigakure had come to ruins. The city was a den of death, and even those with money and the power to secure themselves feared that they'd one day crumble. The only way to get ahead was to go down as deep as you could go into the grip of death, and deal it out yourself. If you weren't feared, then you became one of the fearful. Naruto understood that at least, after having lived as one of the fearful innocents. Fortunately, he had found acceptance eventually with a man called 'Iruka'. He was a school teacher- a rather harmless seeming one, but underneath it all was a hard-working man for the yakuza group 'Konoha'. He had seen Naruto's struggle and had given him a chance to succeed.

From there, it was history as he found hope and ties of friendship in the most unlikely places. And it was these people that had ultimately set in stone his goal to bring change into this city. He wanted to see the city in its glory-days, like in the stories Ero-Sennin told him. People didn't always used to be afraid of the dark here, and it should never have become that way.

Naruto grinned, thinking how one day the city would be free from fear. Maybe then Sakura-chan would…

"Naruto!" A hand smacked him over the back of the head. Jiraiya glared down at him. "Stop daydreaming already, we gotta talk."

"Eh, what do ya want?" The spiky-haired teen rubbed the bump on his head irritably. He'd just been getting to the good part too…

The old man ran a hand down his face, his thumb and a finger vaguely tracing the two red tattoo lines running down under his eyes. "Look, we're on a boat, right? That means when we dock, we'll be getting off into Kiri territory."

"Why did we have to take a boat?" asked Naruto. He wobbled as the boat hit a particularly choppy wave. "A plane would have been easier…"

"You know Kumo has its hands in the airport. If they wanted, they could have detained us in the middle of the terminal, even confiscated our stuff."

"You just didn't want them taking away your pervert books, did you?" Naruto gave him a patronising look. He received another smack over the head.

Jiraiya crossed his arms. "Getting through Kiri's area is easier than Kumo's. A little bit of seasickness is worth not being locked up in an airport cell for a couple days. Tsunade wouldn't be pleased."

"I suppose," grumbled the youth. He pouted in thought for a moment before grinning. "Well, we better hurry when we get to the docks then if the old Baa-chan wants to see us! I haven't paid her out in years now!"

Jiraiya chuckled. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you missed getting punched in the face by her."

Naruto rubbed under his nose, the grin still on his face. "Hey, I'm tougher than that now, I can take a hit!"

"Better hope so," muttered Jiraiya, setting his sight back on the city. "The city sure deals out one hell of a blow these days."

* * *

**A/N: **Hope you enjoyed! 


	3. Hopes

**Disclaimer: **Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto and not me.

**A/N:** This chapter is a little bit short, sorry, but it's a sweet one anyway.

* * *

* * *

**_Chapter 3: Hopes _**

It was dark when the old man and his student reached the docks. Their boat was dwarfed in comparison to the tankers that lined up around them. The smell coming from the docks matched the size of the tankers though. Oil, rotting fish, the pollution from the city… Naruto had to pull the collar of his shirt over his nose for a minute to become adjusted. He coughed regardless.

"Keep it down," growled Jiraiya. The man shrugged his shoulder to keep his bag on. "I don't want to draw attention to ourselves."

"Yeah, yeah," muttered Naruto. "But I could take out anyone who tried to come near us."

The man rolled his eyes. "That's what you said when you tried to steal that kid's car magazine. And just look what happened there – the kid got his friends to gang up on you and you got your ass kicked."

"They were just kids, I couldn't hit them." Naruto grumbled to himself. His sensei had a point though; he'd been careless that day. Naruto clamped his hands around the straps of his backpack. It was heavy, that was for sure. But he'd picked up a number of nifty knick-knacks while he'd been abroad. Travelling had opened his eyes up to a lot of possibilities. And he couldn't wait to get back and show everyone.

* * *

Sakura locked the door to her office.

"Um… Sakura-chan?"

The pink-haired girl gave a startled jump, turning to her side. "Oh, Hinata! You gave me a fright."

"I'm sorry!" apologised the girl before her. She went to bow, but Sakura grabbed her by the shoulders – Hinata had almost bowed herself into hitting the wall with her head. The girl had been facing the wrong way.

Sakura turned her around, looking into her eyes. They were the lightest shade of lavender, pupil-less, but full of sincerity. Sakura smiled at her, though she knew the girl couldn't see it. "It's alright, Hinata," she told her, noticing the girl had messed up her hair. "Come on, I'll fix your hair for you." She unlocked the door to her office again.

Hinata felt around her as she found a chair to sit on. She carefully placed her walking stick beside her. She winced as she heard it clatter onto the floor.

"Don't worry," Sakura reassured her, fishing a hairbrush from a drawer in her desk. She set about to brushing the girl's long dark-blue hair. Sakura reminisced back to a few years ago, remembering when the girl had much shorter hair. Hinata was still timid, but she had begun to grow up. It had taken her a while to get it right, but she learnt how to put on a little make-up. She'd also started wearing clothes just a little less modest, showing off a womanly figure that had quite surprised Sakura when she had first seen her. Today she was wearing a fitted white t-shirt underneath a denim vest. Her skirt reached halfway down her calves, simple, but ruffled at the bottom. Sakura noticed she hadn't gained enough confidence to start wearing heels though, instead opting for a pair of black sandals.

"Sakura-chan… is… what I heard true? That… Naruto-kun is coming back soon?" A blush spread across Hinata's face. She wrung her hands together nervously.

"Apparently he is," came the reply.

Hinata tapped her fingers together. It was a bad habit, but the feeling somehow calmed her. She wondered about how much Naruto may have changed – maybe his voice had gotten deeper, or he spoke more maturely now? She didn't think about how he looked, after all, she'd never even seen him before. In reality, the only thing she truly knew was his voice. It was his voice that had caught her attention so many years ago as a child. She always heard him at school, yelling over something. Sometimes he'd sound excited, sometimes angry. But she'd never heard him sad… not at first anyway. Not until she'd found the courage to follow him after school was over. After some time, she had found it easy to be able to follow him – she'd memorised the sound of the pattern of his footfalls. She had become so dedicated that she rarely messed up and ended up following someone else. One day, after following Naruto, she'd found him back at the playground, the swings creaking as they swung in the breeze. There was another sound though…

* * *

Sobbing. Teardrops dripped down Naruto's face. The boy clutched at the chains of the swing as he sat, his legs dangling down just short of the ground.

"It's not fair," he whispered.

"Uh…"

Naruto jumped in fright, tumbling out of the swing. Quickly, he got back onto his feet and turned. A girl was standing before him, nervously tapping her fingers together. Naruto, not wanting to be seen crying, wiped at his face with the edge of his shirt. Halfway through, he paused, looking at the girl. He noticed her eyes were blank, not normal. She also had a stick of some kind in her hand. Realisation hit him.

"Are you blind?" he asked.

The girl jumped a little herself. After a moment, she nodded. "I'm… I'm Hyuuga Hinata. I'm… in your class, Naruto-kun." A blush spread over her face. Naruto wondered if she was too hot or something – she was wearing a gigantic jacket for such a warm night. The girl's fingers tapped again. "I… I heard you crying."

"I was not!" retorted the boy swiftly. "I was… It was the swing."

Hinata didn't seem like she believed him. "It's okay to cry a little sometimes," she said.

Naruto frowned, though Hinata's face gave no response to it. Sadness swept over him. "I don't cry a little sometimes," he told her. "I come here every night."

"Every night?" Hinata's fingers stopped tapping. It seemed almost impossible for her to believe. "Why?"

"It's not like I have anywhere else to go," grumbled Naruto. "You wouldn't understand. You're not an orphan."

Things started to make sense to Hinata suddenly – why he was always so loud. She had been told he was a class clown and an attention seeker, but he did it because he didn't have any family to go home to at night and get attention from… or love. She almost felt sick remembering how in nearly every single class she had heard someone yelling insults at Naruto at some point. Even some of their teachers went out of their way to make him feel unwanted. But he never made himself out to seem like he was some kind of poor orphan. He put on a strong demeanour and endured life's hardships. Hinata gulped, feeling a hot flush across her face. She had to say it… she just had to.

"Uh… Na-Naruto-kun?"

"Yeah, what is it?" asked a quiet voice. Naruto sounded like he was about to cry again.

She had to say it, _had _to! "I-I-I… I-I…" She choked. "I wish I could see your face!"

Naruto blinked. That had been… unexpected. He stared into the girl's white eyes. As he stared, he began to notice they weren't exactly white – they were more like a really light purple. It was kind of pretty really. His brow twitched in a frown. The girl had just said she wished he could see his face? It was a strange request, especially when he thought about how most people probably wished they didn't see his face at all. And this girl… really wanted to be able to see his face? When all others shunned him instead?

"Naruto-kun?" Hinata was shaking. She'd choked, not wanting to say what she wanted. She felt like a fool.

Suddenly she felt something grasp her around the wrist. Her hand was guided up until she felt something warm and soft against her palm. A droplet of water slid down onto her fingers, following the contours until falling off her wrist.

But just as suddenly as she realised what she was touching, it was gone. She heard running, going over the pavement and towards the school gate.

Hinata held her hand in the air a little longer, remembering the feeling of Naruto's cheek and the tear that had run down her hand.

* * *

"How has your family been, Hinata?" asked Sakura.

Hinata snapped out from her dreaming. She could almost imagine the feeling again. "It's been… okay," she replied.

"Any more word on the research?" Sakura felt badly for asking about it, but her curiosity was too much, as well as her concern. For as long as anyone could remember, the Hyuuga family had always been blind. It was some kind of genetic defect – incurable by medicine. That was why the family had turned to science and technology. However, the science came at a price, for half of the family at least. The research needed guinea pigs, and only living family members could suffice. It was then that the family became split. Some had volunteered, and some had been forced, but it was during that where the ' Main' and 'Branch' parts of the family had appeared. The Branch house were the guinea pigs, something that consequently caused their children to be cursed with it as well. The research was painful, excruciatingly so. After a while, the Branch house had begun to rebel, but the Main had predicted it, placing small transceivers in their brains. With one touch of a button, that pain would return. The Branch had become servants, a sad and terrible fate… and all in the name of science.

"Uh… research…" Hinata paused.

Sakura raised an eyebrow. Had there been a hint of excitement in the girl's tone?

"They, uh, had a breakthrough," said Hinata quietly. "It's not complete yet, but it's a step."

"That's great news!" exclaimed Sakura. "Do you know anymore?"

"Neji-nii-san has volunteered to test it." Hinata clutched at the fabric of her dress. "I'm worried for him."

Sakura put the brush down and put her hands on the girl's shoulders. "Neji-san is doing a wonderful thing, Hinata. He's doing it because he cares about you and knows your dream is to be able to see."

Hinata wiped at her eyes. Her cousin once never would have even considered doing such a thing for someone of the Main house. In a way, it was all thanks to Naruto. He'd shown him life was better than living off of a grudge. And inspired by Naruto's determination, Hinata had found herself telling her father to reconsider the way they treated the Branch house. If she was going to be the heir of the family, she had to show she wanted to take charge. Her idea of how to 'take charge' had been a little different in comparison to previous generations, but it was what she desperately wanted. And somehow, miraculously, since then things had suddenly started changing. It was like fortune was smiling down at them and a burden was suddenly gone. Research had suddenly been taking leaps forward, the separated houses didn't seem too far apart anymore… and Neji had out of the blue seemed to have matured into a wise and caring young man.

The thoughts filled Hinata with hope. One day, maybe she'd be able to see Naruto's face for real? It definitely would be a wish come true, even if it was one she hadn't originally thought about.

"Hinata, let's go out to celebrate!" said Sakura, picking up Hinata's walking stick and putting it in her hand. She grabbed the girl's other hand and led her towards the door.

"Where are we going, Sakura-chan?"

"It doesn't matter. Let's just celebrate the future, okay?"

* * *

* * *

**A/N: **Until next time!


End file.
